- Get down on your hands and knees, with your hands aligned with your shoulders and your knees aligned with your hands. With your knee bent, raise one leg directly behind you so that your thigh is parallel with the floor and your toes point toward the ceiling. Hold this pose for 3 seconds; then lower your leg back down to the floor. This is called a "kickback" because you look as though you are kicking directly behind you. Do one to four sets of 10 to 16 repetitions. To make it more difficult and work your muscles harder, simply slow the motion down. The less momentum you are using, the harder your muscles have to work to do the exercise. Make sure to repeat this exercise with both legs. This should be done every other day, with a day of cardio between if you are trying to lose weight.
- Get down on your hands and knees, with your knees aligned with your hips and your hands aligned with your shoulders. Raise your leg to the side, but do not unbend your knee. You want your leg to look the same at the top of the exercise as it did at the beginning of the exercise, with your knee still bent at a 90-degree angle. Lift your leg until your whole leg is parallel with the floor or as high as you can comfortably lift it. If you cannot lift it all the way so that it is parallel with the floor, do the best you can. Over time you should be able to increase the height of your leg lift until your leg is parallel with the floor. Hold this pose at the top for 3 seconds and then slowly drop your leg back to the beginning pose. Do one to four sets for 10 to 16 reps. Be sure to repeat for both legs. This should be done every other day, with a day of rest or cardio between.
- Bridges target the hip and butt muscles, but also activate the abdominal muscles. Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet about a foot away from your butt. Slowly raise your hips until your legs, hips and stomach make a straight line like a bridge. Hold this pose for 3 seconds and then slowly drop your hips to the floor. As you raise your hips, hold your stomach muscles in tight, and relax your abdominal muscles as you drop your hips back to the floor. Do one to four sets for 10 to 16 reps. Make sure that you move slowly during this exercise and that you are not relying on momentum. This should be done every other day, with a day of rest or cardio between.
